World History Modern AP Prologue and Classical Era Flashcards

This set covers key concepts: human origins, the Agricultural Revolution, first civilizations (Mesopotamia, Egypt, Indus, China, Americas), early religions (Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism), classical empires (Persian, Greek, Roman, Mauryan/Gupta, Qin/Han), the spread of Buddhism and Islam, the Abbasid Golden Age, Chinese innovations (civil service, gunpowder, paper money, compass), and postclassical trade networks (Silk Roads, Indian Ocean, trans-Saharan), along with major events like the Crusades and the Schism. It also touches major cultural achievements in the Americas (Maya, Teotihuacan, Cahokia, Toltecs).

When did modern humans first appear in East Africa?

Between 200,000 B.C.E. and 100,000 B.C.E.

How did early humans survive before agriculture?

Hunting animals and foraging for seeds and edible plants.

What belief system connected many deities to features of nature?

Animism.

What social pattern showed signs of male domination in early societies?

Early patriarchy.

Between which years did humans begin populating the rest of the globe from East Africa?

Sometime between 100,000 and 60,000 years ago.

By 10,000 B.C.E., on which continent had humans not yet established permanent presence?

Antarctica.

What is the Agricultural Revolution?

The shift around 10,000 years ago to farming and animal domestication, leading to food surplus.

Where did the Agricultural Revolution begin?

The Middle East.

What did a surplus of food allow societies to do?

Specialize in non-food producing activities and develop complex economies.

Name three types of specialists that emerged due to food surplus.

Artisans, merchants, and priests.

What technologies accompanied the Agricultural Revolution?

Irrigation, the wheel, and the use of metals such as bronze and iron.

Why did writing first develop in early civilizations?

To keep records about trade and taxes.

What is a city-state?

An independent state comprising a city and its surrounding territory.

Where was Mesopotamia located?

Around the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in present-day Iraq.

Which civilization invented cuneiform?

Sumer in Mesopotamia.

What is a ziggurat?

A monumental temple in Mesopotamian cities.

What was the Mesopotamian religious tradition?

Polytheism.

Who ruled ancient Egypt?

A pharaoh.

What writing system did Egypt develop?

Hieroglyphics.

What special rights did Egyptian women have in court?

They were legally equal to men in court and could own property.

What were Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro?

Major Indus River valley cities.

What is known about the Indus language?

It has not been deciphered.

Which river provided the cradle of Chinese civilization?

The Huang He (Yellow River).

What practice in early China involved honoring ancestors?

Ancestor worship.

Name two non-river valley civilizations in the Americas.

The Olmec and the Chavin.

How is Hinduism sometimes categorized in terms of belief?

It is sometimes polytheistic and sometimes monotheistic.

What is a key feature of Zoroastrianism?

An early monotheistic faith from Persia focusing on free will and the struggle between good and evil.

What is the covenant concept in Judaism?

A covenant with Yahweh, making Jews His chosen people.

Who is Abraham in Jewish tradition?

A patriarch around 4,000 years ago.

What is the Old Testament?

The Hebrew Scriptures.

Which three religions are monotheistic and linked to Abraham?

Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Who founded Buddhism?

Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha.

Approximately when was Siddhartha born?

Around 530 B.C.E.

What are the Four Noble Truths?

Core Buddhist truths about suffering, its cause, its end, and the path to end it.

What is the Eightfold Path?

The Buddhist path to enlightenment.

What is nirvana?

Enlightenment and the end of the cycle of rebirth.

How did Buddhism spread across Asia?

Through missionaries and merchants along the Silk Roads and Indian Ocean routes.

Where did Buddhism originate?

South Asia (India).

Which empire unified much of South Asia and promoted Buddhism?

The Mauryan Empire under Ashoka.

What did Ashoka promote with his edicts?

Prosperity through roads, efficient tax systems, and spreading Buddhist teachings.

Which Indian empire is known as the Golden Age of India?

The Gupta Empire.

What mathematical concept did Gupta scholars contribute to?

The decimal system with 0 through 9 and place value.

What was the Gupta social structure dominated by?

Patriarchy; Hindus dominated.

What religion did the Gupta era strongly support?

Hinduism.

What are the core ideas of Confucianism?

Education, benevolence, virtue, respect for authority, and filial piety.

What is the Mandate of Heaven?

The belief that heaven grants emperors the right to rule; disasters indicate a loss of mandate.

What is Daoism focused on?

Living in harmony with nature and inward reflection.

Which two Chinese dynasties centralized control after the warring states period?

Qin and Han dynasties.

What were Qin Shi Huangdi’s major contributions?

Standardized script, weights and measures, and built canals and roads.

What characterized the Han Dynasty?

A Golden Age with population growth, scientific progress, and trade along the Silk Roads.

What innovation did the Han utilize for government recruitment?

The civil service exam, a merit-based bureaucracy.

What city served as the Han capital and Silk Road hub?

Chang’an.

What cultural exchange era spread Greek culture after Alexander the Great?

The Hellenistic world.

What were the key features of the Roman Republic?

Assembly of citizens, Senate, and later imperial rule; Julius Caesar and Augustus shaped governance.

How did Roman women’s rights compare to Greek women’s rights?

Roman women could own property, inherit, and initiate divorce; greater rights than Greek women.

What was the geographical extent of the Roman Empire at its height?

From Scotland to northern Africa to the Middle East.

What public works helped Rome demonstrate its power?

Aqueducts and large stadiums.

What were major challenges contributing to Rome’s decline?

Overextended military, corruption, and epidemics (smallpox and bubonic plague), plus barbarian invasions.

What was Rome’s enduring religious legacy?

The spread of Christianity and religious tolerance for many belief systems under certain conditions.

What happened to Jews under Roman rule?

Persecution and a diaspora spreading to Africa and Europe.

Who was Jesus, according to Christian tradition?

A Jewish teacher executed by Romans; Christians believe Him to be the Christ.

By when had Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire?

By the end of the 1st century C.E.

What did Constantine do for Christianity?

Legalized Christianity and made it the empire’s official religion in the 4th century.

What became the eastern capital of the Roman Empire after the split?

Constantinople (formerly Byzantium).

What is Hagia Sophia?

A Christian church built by Justinian, later a mosque, now a museum.

What is the Justinian Code?

A consolidation of Roman law that influenced European legal systems.

What is Teotihuacan known for?

A major, grid-planned city in Mesoamerica with monumental temples; abandoned by 650 C.E.

What are the Maya known for?

A complex written language, sophisticated calendar, and concept of zero.

What is Cahokia?

A Mississippian city near present-day St. Louis, a major trade hub.

Who were the Toltecs?

A Mesoamerican civilization that influenced the later Aztecs.

What caused the Maya to abandon many cities around 900 C.E.?

Environmental degradation, drought, and warfare.

What major trade networks linked Afro-Eurasia between 600 C.E. and 1200 C.E.?

The Silk Roads, Indian Ocean trade routes, and trans-Saharan routes.

What was the House of Islam?

A term for the Islamic world and its spread across regions.

Who were the Abbasids?

A group of rulers (750–1258 C.E.) who led a golden age centered in Baghdad.

What were the Abbasids known for scientifically and culturally?

Advances in medicine, astronomy, algebra; translation of Greek and Roman texts.

What tax supported non-Muslims living under Abbasid rule?

Jizya.

What changes did the Abbasids make regarding women’s status?

Ended female infanticide and strengthened marriage and property rights; continued veiling and allowed polygamy.

Where did Islam rapidly expand within less than a century?

Southern Spain, North Africa, the Middle East, and parts of India.

When did Islam spread to parts of Spain, North Africa, and the Middle East under the Umayyads and Abbasids?

From 622–750 (Umayyads) and beyond (Abbasids).

What is the significance of the Five Pillars of Islam?

Core practices: belief in one God, prayer, almsgiving, fasting, pilgrimage.

What is sharia?

Islamic law derived from the Qur’an to regulate religious and civil behavior.

What caused the Sunni–Shia split?

Disagreement over who should lead after Muhammad’s death.

Which branch forms the majority of Muslims today?

Sunni Islam.

What is the House of Islam’s connection to trade?

Islamic rulers fostered trade and exchange across vast regions.

What marked the Abbasid Golden Age?

Stability and a flourishing of science, culture, and trade in Baghdad.

What is the Grand Canal’s benefit?

Linked the agricultural south to population centers in the north of China.

Which Chinese dynasty is credited with accelerating the Silk Roads’ trade via innovations?

Tang Dynasty (and later Song) with innovations like gunpowder and paper money.

What two technologies did the Tang/Song era advance for trade?

Gunpowder and paper money.

What role did the magnetic compass play in global exchange?

Significantly facilitated long-distance maritime trade.

What system did the Tang/Han implement to recruit officials?

Civil service examination and a merit-based bureaucracy.

What is the tributary system in East Asia?

A structure where surrounding states paid tribute to China in exchange for trade privileges.

What empire moved its capital to Byzantium and later became Constantinople?

The Roman Empire under Constantine.

What is the Byzantium/Constantinople’s strategic advantage?

Control of key rivers and proximity to trade routes between Europe and Asia.

What is the significance of the Justinian Code?

A foundational set of Roman laws that influenced European legal tradition.

What was the status of Christianity in the Byzantine Empire?

A major, state-supported religion with close ties to imperial power.

What characterized Western Europe after Rome’s decline?

Decentralized kingdoms and the rise of feudal structures.

What major religious split occurred in 1054?

The Great Schism between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches.

What event in 1095 influenced Europe’s engagement with the wider world?

The First Crusade to retake Jerusalem.

What cultural impact did the Crusades have in Europe?

Increased awareness of the Middle East and Asia and stimulation of intellectual exchange.

What was the status of the Americas’ civilizations by 900 C.E.?

The Maya were in decline; Teotihuacan declined earlier; Cahokia (Mississippian) thrived in the eastern United States.